Men with a discerning style
The colour-blocking trend began a year ago and it literally means an outfit made up of blocks of solid colours. The concept has been an alien to an average Motswana man for some time. This is understandable as ours is a conservative society. However, spring has brought altogether a shocking sense of style among men. Bold ones are standing out for what they are capable of and that is, mixing colours. They do not mean any drama but want to express themselves in a stylish manner.
As Pontsho Mmusi puts it: The modern man is increasingly becoming trendy. He loves colour blocking and enjoys wearing colourful shorts with warm T-shirts, which are warm-coloured. When he goes out for a meal with friends, he does not mind yellow shorts with a blue T-shirt, and white sandals. “It is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be brave,” he says with a laugh. And he is right, men who colour-block are superbrave. For a long time, our society has labelled Men with a discerning style men who wear colourful clothes sissies and metrosexuals. An ideal straight man has been cocooned to warm colours. Nevertheless, the laws are breaking, thanks to this trend.
According Omphemetse Mompati, fashion and fabric graduate, it is worth noting that one can colour block more than one colour. But the point is that the colours must complement each other. For instance, tangerine and red, yellow and green, blue and purple, may all be complementary colours depending on how they are matched. He says that more risks should be taken to make it three colours, which he believes is the maximum. He advises that men should avoid loud or shimmering colours. However, if need be, one can have the guards to rock pink, lime green, yellow and cyan. His recommendation is that these loud colours can be ideal for dark men. For example, trying out a yellow-double-breasted blazer on green trousers is a perfect combo. “You could go further by having your pocket square in red or a shade of green like lemon,” he says.
And of course, the risk-takers do not mind turning heads with colourful shoes. From tassled slip-ons, to derbys, sneakers and brogues, shoes with a touch of colour are making an audacious statement.
The office man is also making strides in this trend. Combining a black or grey suit with a colourful cardigan surely speaks something. A colourful scarf also shows he means business. A loud tie commands attention. “A safe player is always a good player, but to keep my colour blocking conservative, I play with texture,” states Pako Chuma, an independent photographer.
His take is that a chunky sweater attracts attention, almost as if one wants people to feel the softness of the sweater. It is a good way to flirt, he believes. All said and done, colour blocking makes men more stylish and expressive. It helps them stand out from the crowd while remaining ‘within pocket.’
